Mop using removable sponge or the like



May 23, 1933. E. J. MILLER v MOP USING REMOVABLE SPONGE OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheeii 1 Filed Oct. 12, 1931 3 EDW/PI J. MILLER 1933. E. J. MILLER 28 MOP USING REMOVABLE SPONGE OR THE LIKE Filed Oct.- 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwumtov Eowm/ J. MILLER i so Patented May 23, 1933 a i I EDWINJZ-MILLER, on ANDERSON, INDIANA mornspmefnnlaovannn sronenoa Myinvention relates to mops, the wash ing element 'of" which may be removed and replaced andmore particularly to mops 1n whicha mop handle is provided with a clamp' head which maybe readily operated to" engage or release a 'moppingsponge; or the hke' as desired; and my" device consists substantially in construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and pointed out moreparticularly in i the accompanyingclaims; i

' -Anobject of my invention is to provide a maphaving clamping jaws which extend Well beyond the mop 'handleproper and to provide a =leveron the handle "for manipulating said jaws a-suflicient distance from thejaws to be operated without making it necessary for the operator to bring his or her hands near the mopping element. i

It is primary object of my invention to provide amophandleand head of this class suitable forcuse with a sponge or the like. i Itis-a further object of myinvention to providea comparatively light sponge clamp- -ing mechanism amply braced and constructed to retain a sponge in operating position. 1 1

is also an important object of my injvention to provide a meansior clamping a Espongeto: a handleinsuch a manner-that free access may be had to the sponge 'for manuallysqueezing or wringing the mop- The aboveand otherobjects areobtained byfthe structures illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which; f Figurell 'sa plan view oiithe mop clamping means and handle as taken when the assembled device is lain flat like on a floor or i the like, thespongeclampingjaws being in) closedpositioni t i i i i 2 is? a side elevationfo'ffthe device showing the clamping jaws in closed posi- "dottedlinesfi j i i a 3 isa viewtaken from the same viewpoint as Fig. 2, showing the sponge clamp- 111g awsin;open p osit onpandfthe sponge a "it 11. H

remoyed;w* p i a A Fig. "4 1s an end vlewot the devlce as tion; the sponge element being indicatedfin V projected from F ig. 3. i i i i Fig. 5 is asectional view taken in the proximity of line'55, Fig. 1 and, v

Fig. 6 is sectional; View taken in the proximity of line 6-6 of Fig. 2. i 1

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts throughoutthe views. Re-

ferring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 indicates aconventional wood mop handle upon which the remainder of the device is mounted. so

Numeral 2 designates a socket which is disposed over the head end of the mop handle, the bracket 3 being formed onthe lower portion of said socket andextending forwardly, the width of said bracket increasing forwardly for co-adjoiningwith the somewhat triangular and relatively stationary aw member 4. Said jaw member is conveniently formed from a metal red, the ends of which extendconvergingly to and unite w1th the bracket 3, said bracket having its outer edges 5 bent over the ends it 6 ofthe aw forming rod, by which said stationary aw 1s secured in place. Said jaw is also soldered or otherwise conveniently secured y to saidbracket.

As. above indicated the stationary jaw member 4 is a triangular formation, the forward side 7 of the triangle thus formedbe- 111% .transverseltohthe trend of the handle 1 B0 an serving as t e 'pri-nci a1 ri i11 or tion of the jaw. The oth r siges d f the tri angle thus formed are merged with the forward side Z of thetriangleby arcularbends 8 which also serve with the forwardportions of the other sides of the jaw in" gripping the sponge 9 or other mopping materlal. i The rearwardportion of the socketfl is round and conforms the" shape and size of the diameter of the handle 1, but the forward portion of said socket is somewhat half-circular in cross section as indicated in Fig-6, and the upper forward portion of the handle is cutaway, so that it may also enter the half-round part of the socket, as wellas' the rearward portion, A f The upper wallof the half-roundedportion of the socket is composedof t'wojseck tions 10-which extend somewhat horizon tally and inwardly for a distance and then upwardly at right angles to the remainder of said sections forming spaced vertical walls 11.

The upper jaw 12 of the device mates with the stationary jaw 4 and corresponds in triangular shape and arrangement there'-' 0t through holes in said walls and thus form a pivot upon which the upper is swung into closed position, as indicated by Fig. 2 and to open position as indicated by Fig. 3.

Adjacent the .stems 13 the adjourning sides of the upper jaw 12 are tied together with a metal strip 15 which is conveniently bent around said sides, and soldered or otherwise secured thereto. From the rear side of said strip, a branch 16 thereof, extends to between the vertical walls 11, and is pivoted around the extreme inner stem terminations. A V shaped flat spring 17 is nested in the crotch thus formed by said branch and the handle 1, the lower end of said spring being bent downwardly and lodged between the extreme end of said handle and the adjacent portion of the bracket 3, and the upper end'of said spring being exerted against the branch 16. By this arrangement it will be understood that the spring 17 serves to move the upper jaw 12 to open position when released as will be understood.

When the upper jaw 12 is in closed position as shown in Fig. 2, the expansion coil spring 18 encircles the socket 2 and the stems 13 and thus holds the two jaws together. When the spring 18 is compressed from engagement with the stems 13, the flat spring 17 being tensioned against the branch 16 of the strip 15 which is secured 'to said upper jaw as above described, said jaw is swung open by said flat spring on the point formed by the stem terminations, and the corresponding holes in the vertical Walls 11.

The coil spring 18 is brought to and held in compressed position for releasing the jaws by manipulation of a dually formed toggle 19 which straddles the handle 1, from. above and is pivoted to the socket 2 and handle 1 at points 20. A pair of levers 21 forma partiof said toggle and extend downwardly as considered in Fig.--2 approximately a distancecorresponding tothe amount said coil springv is to be compressed to clear the stems 13 of the jaw 12. The lower extremities-0f said levers are pivoted to drag links 22, the other ends of said links being hooked over the forward end of said .coil-spring It will then be seen that when the toggle 19 is manipulated to swing the levers 21, rearwardly, a distance of approximately ninety degrees, said coil spring will be compressed to release the jaw 12, as desired. The back of said toggle extends rearwardly along the upper side of the handle 1 for a distance suitable to provide a convenient handle for operating the levers 21, and the handle thus formed is turned up from the handle 1 at its rearward end for convenience in operation.

A stop 23 is formed on the upper part of the toggle 19 which bears against the coil spring 18 when said togle is swung into position indicated in Fig. 3, said stop being solocated as to stop the movement of said toggle when the drag links 22 have been swung slightly above the pivots 20, or as understood by those familiar with self-locking toggles, beyond center, by which arrangement the stop 23 is held in contact by said coil spring and the jaws of the device are permitted to remain in open position for removing or inserting the sponge 9, or other mopping material.

As the toggle 19 is again swung to the position indicated in Fig. 2 the forward coil of the coil spring 18 rides the stems 13 in closing the jaw 12 toward the stationary jaw 4, which thus closes upon the sponge or other mopping material as desired.

While the description and drawings illustrate in a general way certain instrumentalities which may be employed in carrying the invention into effect, it is evident that many modifications may be made in the various details without departing from the scope of the appended claims, it being understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular example herein described. What I claim is: V 1. In a mop mechanism which removably clamps mopping material in working position, a handle, a relatively stationary jaw extending forwardly of said handle, said jaw being an open frame through which access is had to said mopping materialv in squeezing and wringing mopping fluid therefrom, a shank formed on said jaw of substantially the same width as said handle and fixed thereto as a continuation thereof, a movable jaw mating with said stationary jaw, said movable jaw also being an open frame through which access is had to the mopping material for squeezing and wringing mopping fluid from the mopping material, another shank mating with the first mentioned shank, formed on said movable jaw of substantially'the same width as said handle, the rearward end of said other shank being pivoted to said handle, an expansion spring ,tensioned between said shanks forwardly of'the pivoted end of said other shank, tending to constantly swin 0' said movable jaw pivotally apart from said stationary jaw, an expansion coil spring the withdraw the forward end thereof from said forward end of which normally surrounds and confines said shanksand the rearward end of which encircles saidhandle, said coil spring serving to thus normally hold said movable jaw in closed position with said stationary jawfor retaining the mopping material in workin position, and a toggle lever means, one en of which is ivoted to said handle and one end of whic engages the forward end of said coil s ring, said lever means serving to correspondingly compress said coil spring when collapsed and shanks and thus permit said movable jaw to be swung to open position by the first mentioned spring, said toggle means being foldable upon itself in self-locking position to retain said coil spring in compressed position whenthe operator wishes to leave said jaws in open position.

2. In a mop mechanism which removably clamps mopping material in working position, a handle, a relatively stationary jaw extending forwardly of said handle, a shank formed on said jaw of substantiallythe same width as said handle and fixed thereto as a continuation thereof, a movable jaw mating with said stationary jaw, another shank mating with the first mentioned shank, formed on said movable jaw of substantially the same width as said handle, the rearward end of said other shank being pivoted to said handle, an expansion spring tensioned between said shanks forwardly of the pivoted end of said other shank, tending to constantly swing said movable jaw pivotalldy apart from said stationary jaw, a surroun ing means which normally confines said shanks serving to thus normally hold said movable jaw in closed position with said stationaryjaw for retaining the mopping material in working osition, and a toggle lever means, one end 0 which ispivoted to said handle and one end of which engages said surrounding means serving to correspondingly withdraw a said surrounding means,

when collapsed, from said shanks and thus permit said movable jaw to be swung to a my hand on this the 3rd day of October,

open position by said spring, said toggle means being foldable upon itself in selflocking position to retain said surrounding means in withdrawn position when the operator wishes to leave said jaws in open position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set EDWIN J. MILLER. 

